Nothing Concrete

In the second of our four-part series with Stephen Fry, exploring music, art and mental health, Stephen talks with moving honesty about his own suicide attempts and battle with bipolar disorder, and how Beethoven’s music helped in his recovery from his lowest points. 

The Art of Change is a series where we meet artists and performers who are passionate about changing the world, presented by journalist Chris Gunness.

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Join writer, actor, comedian and campaigner Stephen Fry in conversation with journalist Chris Gunness for a new four-part podcast series on the Barbican’s podcast, Nothing Concrete, taking Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament to spark conversations on music, art, mental health and the healing power of art. 

In episode one, Stephen reads Ludwig van Beethoven’s Heiligenstadt Testament and the great composer’s inner struggles, musing on the link between genius and mental illness, popular modern images of the Romantic artist, and Beethoven at the forefront of a revolution of the heart.

The Art of Change is a series where we meet artists and performers who are passionate about changing the world.

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In this episode of The Art of Change (originally released in November 2019 as part of the Borders and Boundaries film season), journalist and broadcaster, Chris Gunness speaks to Simon Bitton, director of 'Wall', Mariah Garnett, director of 'Trouble' and Barbican Head of Cinema, Gali Gold, in an exploration of films across frontiers.

'Borders and Boundaries' presented some of the world’s hottest borders past and present, from the Korean peninsula, to the Berlin Wall and the hinterland between the US-Mexico. 

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In this episode, we meet artists and performers who are passionate about changing the world in this series, The Art of Change. 

Today, Chris Gunness heads into rehearsal with underground political theatre company, Belarus Free Theatre, to speak to Natalia Kaliada and Nikolai Khalezin to learn more about creating theatre in exile. 

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Another dip into the archive with this episode from May 2015 where Ben Eshmade spoke to French Film director Olivier Assayas about his consecutive films 'Personal Shopper' and 'Clouds of Sils Maria'.

'Clouds of Sils Maria' stars Juliette Binoche as actor Maria Enders who reluctantly agrees to take a part in a revival of a play that launched her career 20 years previous. The film also stars Kristen Stewart as her young assistant Valentine and Chloe Grace Moretz as Jo-Ann Ellis a celebrity hounded younger actor.

Inspired after working with Kristin Stewart on 'Clouds of Sils Maria' he wrote his next film for the actor, 'Personal Shopper'. Stewart plays medium Maureen who is trying to contact her twin brother who died of an affliction that she shares. Meanwhile she works for a superficial German supermodel whose day to day fashion whims she has to supply. 

From the Archive sees us dig into our extensive contemporary and classical music and cinema podcast archive as we rediscover interviews and discussions with artists, with our long-standing producer and presenter, Ben Eshmade. 

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In the final episode in our Composer Focus series, Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra Sakari Oramo talks to Edward Seckerson about his countryman, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.

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In this episode of Composer Focus, Richard Tognetti – violinist, composer and director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra speaks to Edward Seckerson about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

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In this episode of Composer Focus, Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, guides us through the life and music of Gustav Mahler.

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We revisit our Composer Focus series from November 2018, when baritone Roderick Williams joined Edward Seckerson to talk about 20th-century composer Benjamin Britten.

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We revisit our Composer Focus series from November 2018, as Edward Seckerson and countertenor Iestyn Davies delve into the life and music of composer George Frederic Handel.

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